Reid slams Republicans on threatened gun bill delay

For the second consecutive day, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid slammed Republicans for threatening to delay debate on gun legislation and accused them of talking out of both sides of their mouths.

“I hope Republicans will stop trying to shut down debate,” the Nevada Democrat said, reading a quote on the Senate floor from former GOP Rep. and current cable television host Joe Scarborough as saying, “Is anybody awake in my party?”

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“We’re not asking for a three-day waiting period — we have technology that doesn’t take that long,” Mr. Reid said, referring to background checks on gun sales. “But Mr. President, it’s common sense.”

Mr. Reid was flanked by a poster that included the names of the victims of December’s shooting rampage in Newtown, Conn., with the phrase “They deserve a vote” — a frequent intonation of President Obama, who traveled to Connecticut Monday to rally support for his proposed gun control proposals.

The legislation Senate Democrats plan to bring to the floor this week would require universal background checks on virtually all gun sales, impose stiff penalties for gun trafficking and straw purchasers, and increase funding for school safety measures.

Sens. Joe Manchin III, West Virginia Democrat, and Patrick J. Toomey, Pennsylvania Republican, were in talks on a compromise that could expand background checks to sales at gun shows and online, rather than all private sales. But whether the bill comes to the floor is still very much in doubt.